I will bet you that right now there are multiple newsletters sitting in your deleted items, unread. In fact, I'll bet that you don't even read, and probably immediately delete, the majority of the marketing messages you get, even though you could easily opt out of them. Why? Because many small businesses still view email marketing as nothing more than sending the occasional newsletter and let's face it, newsletters are increasingly becoming the weakest and least successful form of email marketing.​

So how do you get subscribers to respond to your email marketing? The answer is to stop thinking about it as just a monthly newsletter and start taking advantage of other types of email marketing that have a better chance of appealing to your subscribers, getting opened, and being clicked on. Here's three things we came up with to help you put the right foot forward:

Rethink the NewsletterInstead of sending a boring monthly newsletter, create something that gives value to your subscribers. If you're already creating quality content for your blog, consider creating a digest of the most popular topics -- a more modern version of the newsletter. The breakdown helps keep user attention. If they find that they're not interested in one point, they can quickly move on to the next. If they want to learn more, they can go and read the blog content, moving them to your site without committing them to reading, or scrolling past, a full topic that they may not be interested in.

By picking the most popular content, you're sure to interest some of your readers. The material is already tried and tested! However, be careful not to send too many. Most companies find that a once a month digest works best for them. Any more, and subscribers become increasingly less likely to click on them.

Use Highly Targeted Micro MessagesShort and direct resonates well with the modern consumer, especially as demands on their time increase and their attention span decreases. Your email marketing messages don't have to be lengthy, and they certainly don't have to include static content. The most powerful micro-messages come from mixing customer data and email marketing. Consider sending customers a short message on their birthday, a customer anniversary, or simply thanking them from time to time.

Get Creative with Autoresponders
We've talked about autoresponders in the past, and it's important enough to bring up here, too. In order to make your email marketing successful, it needs to be as automated as possible -- without allowing the automation to reduce its value or lack personalization.

Personalize your autoresponders with subscriber data to help the customer connect with the message. Simple things like including their name in the subject line can go a long way, and many third-party email marketing services allow for this level of customization. Don't overload subscribers with automated messages though, make sure they recognize that your business values their privacy.
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The best way to think about your email marketing is to ask yourself what kind of emails you open, and which ones you don't. Try and see why you click through some, and delete others. The best way to understand consumer behavior is to start looking at your own -- so don't send the same kind of content you leave sitting in your inbox. By correctly managing your email marketing, you'll see higher open and click-through rates, fewer unsubscribes, and most importantly, increased sales.

Don't underestimate the power of effective Email Marketing. If you're looking for help, swing by our Email Marketing services page and send us a note, we're always eager to help!